Web Analytics Learning in Marketing Education : A Gap Analysis

Marketing practitioners have long awakened to the challenges and realities of digital media in market behavior. With these changes a related and equally important issue has emerged --- the learning of web analytics in marketing education. Using web analytics as the primary study setting, we conduct three studies to explore the concept of digital evaluation in marketing from both the practitioner and educator perspective. We use gap analysis as an appropriate approach for evaluating the learning of web analytic knowledge and skills in marketing. The findings provide empirical insight to the gaps that exist between the knowledge and skills used in practice and the learning opportunities provided for their development in marketing education. Findings also show inconsistent perceptions of web analytics learning between marketers, web analysts and marketing educators. Implications for marketing education are presented to aid in the closure of the gaps between web analytics learning and practice in marketing